Katherine Legge says she wants to make NASCAR her “home” ahead oꦜf her second Cup Series ꧃start in Mexico City this weekend.

Having become the first female driver to contest a NASCAR Cup Series 🌸race in seven years at Phoenix in March, Legge will re💝turn b𒉰ehind the wheel of the No. 78 Fast Live Motorsports Chevrolet at Autodrome Hermano Rodrigo on 14-15 June.

Legge, now 44, said having an extended presence in NASCAR has been her 𒅌target ever since she made four Xfinity starts with JD Motorsports in 2018.

“I ꦛloved it and wanted to do more, I just didn’t know how to go about it,” Legge told🍌 NASCAR.com. “I’m lucky that my sponsors pivoted with me and we’re all in on NASCAR.

“It was something that I felt incredibly passionate abo🐬ut doing. I have so much fun doi🍷ng it and am so motivated. I’m working hard at it. I really want to make this home.”

Legge’s highly-anticipated Cup Series at Phoenix ended in disappoi🌌ntment, an accident with the No. 21 Wood Brothers Ford of Josh bringing her outing to a premature🎐 end.

Recalling the race, she said: “It was a big uphill battle, but I respect the challenge and am not blind that it is a challenge going in with a team th💜at w🏅ants to set out to be an entry to people like me into Cup.

“They know where they are at and what they want to achieve. It was going to𝄹 be my first foray and fly un🦂der the radar and that didn’t happen. I wanted to use it to gain experience.”

Liv💃e Fast team owner BJ McLe♕od admitted that it’s difficult for Legge to turn up to a race and be competitive against Cup drivers who race every weekend.

“It’s the♑ toughest 🦩thing that she’s ever come across,” McLeod said. “I don’t know that she would tell you that, but I can tell you that the group of drivers that get to do [Cup] every week are truly some of the best drivers in the world.

“All of them are that good. Not one, not 20, not 30, all 36 or however many are there. They truly are that good, and it makes it extremely difficult for her because even if she’s equally as talented, she doesn’t get to race every week. She is the only part-timer that’s trying to get out there, get up to speed and she has very limite🅷d stock car experience.”

Legge has further Cup Series starts lined up in Chicago, Sonoma, Watkins Glen and Richmond. She will also make two additional appearances in the Xfinity Series, having already raced five times in NASCAR’s second-tier national se𝐆ries this year.

“NASCAR is especially challenging for the sheer number of good drivers,” Legge admitted♊. “It’s a tough beast to tame, but I’m up for the challenge.”

“I thought that I was a lot better than I ꦍam,” Legge joked. “I have no doubt that I’ll get there. But how quickly? I thought I would drive the car a couple of times and th💦en be up at the sharp end, but it’s taking a little longer than I anticipated.”